36 Drabbles: UekiMori
by Snowflake Flower
Summary: At twelve years old, Mori figured it was normal to have no sex appeal. At nineteen, it was a bit more disparaging. But that's okay, right? Considering Ueki's gay and everything...  Pairing is UekiMori, with a side of hysterical Mori and a lime warning.
1. Names

**36 Drabbles: UekiMori**

**1: Names**

Mori was a bit confused when he first started saying it.

"Ne, Mori, what time are we supposed to meet Sano and the others today?" Ueki asked as they met up at the lockers, fishing out their outdoor shoes. Mori Ai sighed good-naturedly, rolling her eyes as she slipped into her runners and picked up her bag. Her best friend since middle school, Ueki Kosuke, was seated on the floor, lacing up his sneakers with his nimble fingers.

"Two in the afternoon. Mou, Ueki if you're going to be so forgetful I might as well swing by your place and pick you up," Mori joked, stepping forward and onto the stone floor, her head turned in Ueki's direction behind her. It was because of this that she unexpectedly bumped into someone in front of her. "Ahh! Sorry!" she apologized, holding her hands in front of her before her mouth dropped a bit.

"Its okay, Mori-san," the boy replied, his smile dazzling in the sun. Of course, he certainly didn't look like just _any_ boy. Way to go Mori; of all the luck, you _had_ to bump into Tadatsu Yuki! One of the most sought-after guys in the school! Already, she could feel the vicious glares being drilled into the back of her head from the admirers that were bound to be watching from behind a corner, or a locker. They were plotting her death as she stood there, shell-shocked while Yuki suddenly started asking her if she understood anything Koba-sen taught in class today.

"A-ah, yeah… it's a bit confusing at first, but I got it after a bit," Mori answered, flushing a bit. He flashed her a bright grin, his eyes lighting up.

"Really? That's great! Because I'm still having a bit of difficulty with it—"

"Ai."

Ah, there it was. She could feel him, the barest brush of his school jacket against the back of hers, his heat lengthening the red flush on her cheeks. Yuki looked surprised.

"Y-yeah, Ueki?" Mori asked a bit nervously, angling her face to look back at him. He was taller than her, so her head craned in an odd position. He was looking straight at her, his own neck craned down to compensate for the distance she couldn't cover. He had moved to the side for her comfort, bag in one hand while he placed the other on her small back, gently pushing her forward to the doors.

"We'll be late to the hot springs if we don't go now," he told her, and Mori didn't catch the tensing in Yuki's shoulders as she brushed past him, too focused on her locked gaze with Ueki.

"Ueki, we still have tons of time," Mori reminded him, as their Saturday classes had gotten off around lunchtime, like normal. But Ueki was undeterred as they stepped out into the bright sunshine.

"Well, maybe you do, but I haven't packed yet," he told her, trying to hold in his grin when her eyes narrowed and she slapped him on the head. "Itai! What was that for?" he asked, rubbing his green hair. Mori scoffed, crossing her arms. The idiot knew exactly why she hit him.

"Stupid," she muttered under her breath, annoyed. He never learned, even after all those years of staying at Sano's onsen. Mori heaved out another heavy sigh, turning to walk in the direction of his apartment. She gave an expectant look at Ueki. "Well? Come on; your bag isn't going to pack itself." Ueki just grinned, holding up a finger.

"Wait one second. I forgot to close my locker," he told her, hurrying away to avoid her wrath. Really! That boy was so forgetful sometimes; it was a good thing Mori was there to set him straight. She stood there impatiently, waiting for Ueki to come back out only to see Yuki, her classmate, be the one to step out. She remembered then that she had been in the middle of a conversation with him before Ueki had interrupted it. At that thought, another brief scowl ran across her lips. He was so rude, too! She was going to have to teach him some manners!

"Oh! Tadatsu-san, I'm sorry about Ueki interrupting you. What were you about to say?" she asked, smiling at him. Yuki seemed uncertain now, as opposed to his confidence just a minute ago. It puzzled her.

"A-ah, it was nothing, Mori-san. I was… just trying to make conversation," he replied, fidgeting, as if he couldn't wait to get away from her. That confused Mori even more, but the thought fled from her mind when Ueki emerged out of the school, that strangely serious look in his green eyes again. And again, Mori was oblivious to the tensing in Yuki's shoulders as soon as Ueki made his presence know. There was a dark gleam in his eyes as he went to stand at Mori's side, hand lingering to brush against her back again.

"Ikou, Ai."

Mori made to obey him, but remembered what Ueki had rudely done and stood her ground. She glared up at the non-human, quivering a bit because she had never stood up to this part of him; this side of him that was reserved for only the most dire of situations.

"Ueki, earlier you cut Tadatsu-san off when he was talking to me," she informed him matter-of-factly, losing a bit of confidence when Ueki didn't seem to bat an eyelash, his face blank.

"Did I?" he replied to her statement, making her cheeks flame with anger. She placed her hands on her hips, shifting into an aggressive stance and glaring at him and his obliviousness.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, "you did! That was really rude, Ueki. You should apologize to Tadatsu-san." Yuki opened his mouth here to interject frantically.

"There's no need for that! It's not a big deal," he said, trying to deter Mori. But she was firm in her stance, still glaring up at Ueki, who remained expressionless. Yuki suddenly had a sense of foreboding when Ueki's head turned in his direction, his eyes shadowed by his dark green bangs.

"No, Ai's right," Ueki replied in his rough, subdued voice. "Please forgive me, Tadatsu-san, for interrupting you while you were talking to Ai." He paused. "It won't happen again." Here, Ueki tilted his head up so subtly, Mori didn't notice it, but Yuki did. Because it revealed the predatory gleam in his eyes, striking Yuki with such intense ferocity that he immediately understood the underlying meaning of Ueki's afterthought.

'_Back off._'

(He knew when something was unattainable; when something was dangerous to play with. Tadatsu Yuki knew when to back off of something.)

(Mori Ai was that something.)

* * *

"Huh, he left so quickly," Mori mused as they walked the road to Ueki's house. Ueki himself was walking beside her, school bag dangling behind his head because his hands were resting against the back of his head. He had gone back to calling her 'Mori', again, which firmly puzzled her. It didn't used to happen as often as it did now, she thought, humming in contemplation. He would just randomly revert from calling her 'Mori' to calling her 'Ai', confusing and embarrassing her. She often wondered why her parents had to give her such a misleading name.

'_Ai_'…

'_Love._'

Mori flushed red again, pouting a bit as she brushed a stray lock of her blue hair away. It was giving her such a headache! She never pretended to try to understand Ueki's oddities, but that was because they weren't about her! This one was, though, and it was annoying her to Hell because she couldn't figure it out.

"Tadaima," Ueki said suddenly, and Mori realized she was so deep in her thoughts that she hadn't registered entering Ueki's apartment. His words created a swell of warmth inside her. She would never get tired of hearing that.

"Okaeri," she responded back in kind, forgoing the traditional Japanese greeting for an outsider entering someone else's home. Ueki turned to her, a soft but powerful smile on his lips as he helped her inside. Mori was sure Ueki never tired of hearing her say those words either.

Stretching, Mori padded inside the house in socked feet, dropping her school bag on the ground. They would have to take a detour to her house so she could pick up her own travel bag and get a change of clothes. She dropped to sit at the table, watching Ueki disappear into his own room. She was about to join him and help pack when he walked out in casual clothes carrying a duffle bag. There was a sheepish smile on his face.

"Oops," he said, scratching his cheek, "guess I _did_ pack."

Mori's eyes narrowed at him.

"Idiot," she responded, groaning and getting up off the floor. "Now, because of you, I have to go just when I started to make myself comfortable." Mori was a bit surprised, though, when Ueki's hand suddenly clamped down on her shoulder, his eyes darker than they were just a second ago.

"Why don't you stay for a bit? It doesn't take that long to get to your house from here," Ueki said, easing her back onto the floor. "I can make tea." He actually went to do just that, not even giving her a chance to respond, as if he knew already that she would say yes. It made her wonder, faintly, what went on in that head of his. She pushed the thought aside, like she did with most of her thoughts about Ueki, contenting herself with watching him bustle around in the kitchen.

'_He would make a good husband._'

Mori froze, her face lighting up into a bright pink. Where the Hell did that come from? She swore that if Inumaru put that in her head… oooh she'd sock him!

"Mori?"

Mori jumped, blinking and seeing Ueki place a tea set onto the table. He was looking worriedly at her. "Are you okay? You're all red," he told her. His eyebrows furrowed in thought. "Are you coming down with a fever?" Ueki scooted closer, placing his hand on her cheek. She swatted it away, her blue eyes darting to the cups.

"I-I'm fine," Mori told him, busying herself with pouring them both tea. She tried willing her blush away, and it seemed to work once she felt the heat leave her face. Ueki took one of the cups from her, sipping quietly as Mori simply held hers in her lap, staring at her faint, mottled reflection. She couldn't help but wonder at how quickly the time passed as she studied her own features, like she was seeing them for the first time.

Sixteen.

Mori didn't think the number fully registered yet, finally taking her first sip of tea. Had it really been four years since the tournament? It was funny, because she still felt like she was twelve. Ueki probably did too, Mori mused with a smile. He hadn't changed at all in the past four years. Still self-sacrificing, still noble and just, still a total, complete idiot… need she go on? The only thing that has changed about him is the way he looks, but even then Ueki's stayed mostly the same. He's just a bit taller, a bit more muscular… a bit more rugged and handsome-looking…

Argh! Bad train of thoughts! Bad!

"Mori! What are you doing?" Ueki shouted, grabbing her hand in his callused one. Mori blinked in surprise, realizing soon after that she had been smacking herself in the face as if punishing her bad thoughts. Her face flushed red again, the colour coming back with a vengeance as if to say "you can't keep us down!"

"A-ah, it's nothing!" Mori exclaimed, ripping her hand away. She stood quickly, thumping her cup of tea onto the table and shuffling away. Her feet lead her to the picture of Ueki's adoptive mother, Haruko. She was smiling gently, as if comforting Mori in that moment. It made Mori smile, taking a short moment to pray to the makeshift shrine. Ueki had remained silent behind her, watching her pay her respects to his mother until she stepped back, turning to face him. There was a nervous twitch to her face. "Ueki…?" she spoke up hesitantly. Ueki blinked at his name.

"Yeah?"

Mori fidgeted, before finally asking, "Why do you keep switching from 'Mori' to 'Ai'?"

Ueki's eyes darkened, and suddenly Mori wanted to take the question back. But she couldn't, because it was there now, hanging in the air; the tension thick and heavy on her shoulders. She gave a start when Ueki stood suddenly, advancing towards her. She was completely taken by surprise, instinctively stepping backwards to keep distance between them until her lower back hit the edge of the table where Haruko's picture presided. Ueki's arms shot out, gripping the table on either side of her body, his sinewy muscles taut. She was trapped in his closeness, breathing in the very masculine, very unique scent that was Ueki Kosuke. His smell was intoxicating and dizzying, and it took a while for Mori to realize that Ueki had asked her something.

"… what?" she replied, trying to focus on the words spilling out of his mouth rather than the timbre of his rough, husky voice. They were wrapping around her, a slow seduction of cadences that rendered her almost speechless.

Ueki chuckled at her response to his question, the rumble piquing Mori's curiosity. What would it do to her, she wondered, if she was pressed against him, feeling the vibrations that would travel up and down his body. She got something almost as good when Ueki leaned down, his lips sweeping the strands of her blue hair briefly, coming to rest just beside her ear.

"Do you have any idea what your name does to people?" Mori blinked at his question, her thoughts still muddled from the closeness of his body. But she was able to recognize that her name did have a very special meaning, although she wondered what that had anything to do with Ueki's strange toggling of her name.

Her confusion must've showed in the hesitation of her response, because Ueki chuckled again, breathing into her ear a sound she would never forget for the rest of her life.

"Ai."

It was her name, but it was not. Because she had never heard Ueki say her name _that_ way before. Like it was the very life that sustained him; the very air he breathed. A concord of wonders, a harmony of impossible miracles, the quintessence of his very soul wrapped up in the one simple syllable of that which was her name, but was not.

"U-Ueki…" He tensed above her, his name obviously sparking some negative feelings that came rushing to the surface. It frightened her a little bit.

"That's not my name," he murmured gently into her ear, sensing her fright and attempting to dispel it. Mori was confused, trying to lean back and gain more distance between the two of them. Her back was starting to hurt from the strain.

"W-what? But Ueki—"

"That's not _my_ name," he repeated, hissing now. Mori's breath hitched, and she understood. There was a small pause before quietly, she whispered into the room.

"Kosuke."

The reaction was instantaneous.

There was a little clack behind her, and Mori registered it as Ueki gently putting his mother's picture face-down, shielding her from the wicked actions of her beautiful son as he grasped desperately at the girl in his arms, tilting her face up and pressing his lips to hers.

"Ai," he whispered reverently as he broke off for the slightest second, allowing them both to regain breath before diving back in, ravishing her pink lips. "Ai," he groaned when they came back up for air, his hands sliding down to her hips, pulling her flush against him, feeling her soft curves against his hard planes.

"_Ai_."

He was telling her he loved her.

It wasn't long before she realized she wanted to tell him too.

"Kosuke." Her arms slid around his neck, trapping _him_ now in her closeness, although she was sure he rejoiced in it, rejoiced in the knowledge of her acceptance. "Kosuke," she whispered heatedly before his lips ensnared hers once more, almost bruising in their force before they slipped away, a burning trail that left dancing embers on her skin. Down, down, down to the pale, untouched column of her throat.

"_Kosuke._"

Her knees gave out from beneath her, heart swelling when Ueki didn't even falter in catching her, pulling back from her neck before lowering her gently to the floor. She was breathing heavily, as was he, and leaned against him when he sat down next to her. Ueki welcomed her, slipping an arm around her waist and burying his nose in her hair.

"Ueki…" Mori started, only to feel his fingers tighten around her waist. "Kosuke," she tried again, succeeding when his grip slackened. She hesitated before asking him uncertainly, "Kosuke… what just happened?" He smiled against her hair. Even as smart as she was, Mori could not figure out this thing that was so simple to understand. What happened between the two of them?

Something beautiful… unforgettable… _wonderful. _A miracle in and of itself that could be described so many ways, could be put into so many words but would still be unexplainable. It was something incredibly powerful and all-consuming and omniscient, so much so that there could be only one word to describe even the slightest of its impact. And right now, it was not a word, but a name.

"Ai."

_

* * *

A/N_ This is all joyejoyu's fault. (She's on Deviant Art; go look her up she's awesome!) This stemmed from her UekiMori comic, "First Names". If you want to see a really sexy picture of Ueki, seriously, GO CHECK IT OUT! Otherwise, hello and I hope you enjoyed this. :)

Snowflake Flower


	2. Onsen or Hot Springs

**36 Drabbles: UekiMori**

**2: Onsen/Hot Springs**

"HAAAH?"

Sano smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his hair as he repeated himself. "I accidentally gave all my employees a week off, and I need you to help me around the onsen." Mori glared at him.

"You mean you want us to work for you," she stated in a deadpanned voice, one of her eyes twitching. Sano shook his head vehemently, suddenly panicked when Ueki unconsciously shifted his stance to support Mori's.

"No, no! Just… help me clean the baths, and prepare the rooms, and cook the food…" he trailed off, gulping when he realized how that sounded. (It certainly made more sense in his head…)

"And work for you," Rinko finished with a sigh. Sometimes, she wondered why she even started dating him. "It looks like we don't really have a choice," she murmured to herself dejectedly, turning to a steaming Mori. She wasn't the only one; all of them had been looking forward to this relaxing trip to get away from all the stresses in their daily lives. Really, that's what Sano's onsen was to them; a place to laze away their worries.

Mori was trembling in anger, as she was definitely in need of that relaxation time. But Sano was her friend, and he was in need of her help, and so she could do nothing else but agree with his girlfriend and relent, switching her position from her hands on her hips to crossing her arms. In other words, she was agreeing with Rinko and telling everyone to sacrifice their relaxation time to help him out. Because although everyone knew that Ueki was their unspoken leader in times of trouble, Mori was the one who held ultimate command when he stepped down.

Sano sighed in relief, glad to have gotten that worry behind him, until Ueki opened his big, fat mouth.

"Ne, Sano, why did you give all your workers the week off anyways?"

...

...

...

"Ugh, that stupid… stupidhead!" Mori exclaimed, unable to find a word to describe Sano's utter stupidity at that current moment, kneeling on the floor of the women's onsen and scrubbing the floors. Honestly! Getting drunk and making ridiculous commands like that; it was totally unbefitting of the owner of a bathhouse! If Rinko wasn't ripping him a new one now, she'd be completely happy to do it once she got a minute alone with him! Didn't he know how stressful living in the city was? Oh, of course not! He lived here, in his nice peaceful onsen with the nice, peaceful atmosphere and the nice, peaceful life!

"Jerk!" Mori hissed again, throwing the dirty rag into the dirtier bucket of water, grabbing the handle to hoist it up. The door to the women's onsen slid open, and Mori heard two girls giggling endlessly as they stepped into the room. Both of the girl's cheeks were flushed rosy red, and they were whispering and squealing occasionally. They looked up once they saw Mori, who was flushed red with exertion and looked rather bedraggled. "Ah!" Mori exclaimed before bowing, remembering her place as Sano's new employee (grr). "Dozo."

Swiftly, Mori hurried away to allow the two girls, swathed in blinding white towels, to enter and enjoy the luxurious hot spring. The hot spring which she would currently be resting in if not for Sano's idiocy.

"Stupid idiot," she muttered darkly under her breath, passing out into the hallway. She bumped into Ueki, who was precariously balancing a bundle of blankets in his hands. They were probably for the futons in every room, and Mori distinctly remembered Sano assigning Ueki with the task of laundryman. He had, at first, assigned her to cook all the dishes, but soon changed his mind after thinking about the reactions of each of his customers if they saw her strange, moving food. Millie had then promptly been assigned the new chef.

"Argh!" she cried out in frustration, partially at the discovery of Sano's wariness of her cooking (hadn't she already proved that it was perfectly edible?) and partially at the results of her klutziness. The bucket of dirty water in her hand had slipped, splashing not only all over her clothes, but also on Ueki and his bundle of newly washed laundry. "Sorry, sorry Ueki," she apologized, bending down to help him pick up the blankets. Ueki, as always, seemed unperturbed by the extra work.

"Its fine," he replied, crouching down with her. Their arms brushed as they worked, and Mori was blushing faintly at the heat rolling off his body in waves. They've been dating for two years, but their relationship was most definitely a slow-going one. A few chaste kisses here and there, and a multitude of dates that seemed more like friendly outings; Mori was starting to get impatient.

Then again, she probably should've seen it coming, what with the rather anticlimactic way they got together. Rinko had been sorely disappointed to hear that Ueki had nonchalantly asked her to be his girlfriend one day while they were lying on the grass, looking up at the sky in an amiable atmosphere. (Mori had been more surprised than disappointed, to be honest.) The former power-user was even _more_ disheartened to find out that all he had done afterward was walk her home to promptly inform her father that he was now dating her. (Mori had been wallowing in too much mortification at that point to worry about anything else.)

Their entire relationship seemed to be based on maintaining as much normalcy as possible, Mori thought. Actually, Ueki hadn't even kissed her until they were going on their third month. And that was only because she brooded for weeks about it, before finally throwing a hissy fit, her face red with aggravation as she yelled at him about still waiting for the first time he'd finally kiss her.

"_Ah, that's it?"_ he asked with mild interest, before shrugging and sweeping his head down, pecking her lightly on the mouth before pulling straight back up. _"Is that better?"_ Even more, he actually added, _"I didn't know it was so important,"_ as an afterthought before she decked him and then ignored him for two entire weeks.

Needless to say, he now regularly gave her light (_very _light) kisses to ensure that never happened again.

"Ugh," Mori grumbled when she stood up, seeing the dirty water stained all over her. She was so frustrated! This was supposed to be her one week of relaxation before she had to start worrying about exams, and yet she was working like a dog, scrubbing floors and lugging buckets of water all around the place. Her hair was plastered to her cheeks and neck from the perspiration she generated, and she looked like a total mess standing in front of Ueki, who had the blankets to protect him from the brunt of the water.

"Don't worry, Mori," Ueki spoke up from beside her, smiling his ever-cheerful smile. "You can have the bath all to yourself after the guests go to sleep."

Mori really wondered why his smile hadn't been banned yet. It was so incredibly infectious that she couldn't have a proper crappy day with him blasting that ridiculously bright ray of sunshine wherever he walked.

"I suppose so," Mori murmured, her lips twitching up. "Well, I better go get some more water to clean this up. I guess… I'll see you later?" she asked, and he nodded with his annoyingly happy smile before walking the direction he came. He was probably headed back to the laundry room, whereas she quickly mopped up her brief mess before heading outside to empty what was left of the dirty water.

...

...

...

Mori sank into the hot spring water, almost feeling the knots in her back loosen out once she was completely submerged. Rinko was sighing in relief from beside her, her cheeks flushed red from the heat and her beautiful red hair piled high on her head. Outside of the water, Sora was washing Millie's back, the both of them giggling as they flicked soap suds at each other. Mori watched them with a smile, feeling older somehow, like an overprotective mother.

"Don't you wish we could go back to that?" Rinko asked suddenly from beside her. "The tournament, I mean. When everything wasn't so complicated." Mori smiled a bit, but Rinko wasn't sure if it was in agreement or disdain.

"It was a life or death thing, back then," the blue-haired girl responded softly, her eyes flickering back to a playful Sora and Millie. "It doesn't get much simpler than that; when your next move would mean your last." They understood that more than anyone else, the value of life and the simplicity of survival. Sora and Millie understood as well, to an extent. But the four of them would always have it worse.

Sano, Rinko, Mori, and…

"Ueki."

It was barely a whisper, but Rinko heard it anyways, and smiled cheekily. She prodded Mori in the ribs, drawing a squeal from the blue-haired girl. "So, so, is there any new development?" the wealthy young woman asked, grinning. She asked this question every time they met up, and it had always been the same kind of answer. Nothing concrete that could be taken as a 'development'; only instances that could be speculated as something more. And those instances were often just baseless fantasies. Like so:

"I bumped into him outside the women's bath and our arms brushed," Mori mumbled, and Rinko giggled excitedly.

"Maybe he was waiting for you out there!" she wondered, enthralled with the idea of it. Mori shook her head, little water droplets flying out of the tips of her wet hair.

"N-no way! He was just putting away the clean blankets in the rooms; that's all." Mori flushed red at the idea of it, though, wishing that it was truly what he was doing outside the women's bath instead of just passing by. "And anyways, I was dirtier than a rat in a sewer; there's no way Ueki would want to see me like that!" But Rinko tutted, shaking her finger at the oblivious younger woman.

"Oh, Ai-chan, don't you know that a man who loves you won't care how awful you look?" Mori stared deadpanned at Rinko's matter-of-fact voice.

"Is that what you tell yourself when Sano sees you in the mornings?"

She was promptly whacked in the face.

"_Oww!_ Rinko-chan!" Mori whined, holding her cheek, little spotted tears at the corners of her eyes. Rinko just flexed her fingers, looking rather regal in the water and brushing a few stray hairs away from her face. Sora and Millie had looked over, curious about the sudden violence, but turned away once they realized the two older women weren't going to go at it.

"Now, now, Ai-chan. There's no need to get rude and comment on other people's love life," Rinko said as Mori settled suspiciously back down beside her. "But really, Ai-chan, if Ueki-kun isn't going to make any moves, you should; and soon." The sudden switch of emotions in Rinko's face caused alarm to swell up in Mori. Her face now was incredibly serious, eyes dark with emotion.

"But… why?" Mori asked, and Rinko was quiet for a moment.

"Because… Ueki isn't a boy anymore. He's a man."

...

...

...

Mori never understood what Rinko was saying until the next morning, when she was carrying some new towels into the women's bath and spotted Ueki with a cart of used linens. He wasn't moving towards the laundry room, but rather scratching his head in thought while two young girls smiled coquettishly beside him. They were the same giggling tarts from yesterday.

Mori's eyes narrowed.

"Ne, Ueki," she called, catching his attention. He brightened when he caught sight of her, waving.

"Ah, Mori. What's up?" he asked, and Mori shifted the towels into the crook of her left arm, putting her right arm on her hip in a stern stance.

"Did you do the towels for the men's bath? Haiji's going to need it soon," she asked him, randomly finding a topic of conversation to draw his attention away from those boyfriend-stealing girls. Ueki rubbed the back of his head, laughing a bit.

"I was just on my way to do them," he replied, and Mori's eyes narrowed. The non-human knew when he was in trouble, and gulped when he saw the dangerous glint in Mori's eyes. That was the I'm-going-to-pretend-you-don't-exist-for-the-next-two-weeks eye glint. And Ueki never – _never _– wanted to go back to that time.

So, as he bid the girls goodbye (which seemed to strengthen the glare) and passed by Mori, Ueki stopped for the slightest moment beside her. She was still looking dangerously at the two girls, who were glaring at her for interrupting their flirting time. The scathing expressions left pretty quickly after Ueki bent down, his fingertips grazing Mori's cheek ever so softly to turn her head in his direction, before pressing his mouth briefly to hers, lingering a little longer than they normally would.

"Sorry," he murmured, his lips only a breath away. "I made you mad."

His cart rolled away, and Ueki left Mori standing there in the hallway, quite dumbfounded.

...

...

...

Rinko was really worried.

Not like the, "OH KAMI WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!" type of worry from the days of the tournament, but something a bit less earth-threatening and more Ueki-Mori related. Then again, Rinko worried all the time when it came to those two and their relationship. She likened it to throwing a rock and a brick wall into a room together and expecting them to come out with three babies. Which is, honestly, what she had done at first. (Not throw a rock and a brick wall into a room, obviously.) She thought her plan to play Seven Minutes in Heaven was foolproof, and that Ueki and Mori would for sure come out a couple. But alas, she seemed to underestimate Ueki's denseness and overall lack of sexual urges, and Mori's rather stubborn and shy demeanour when it came to matters of the heart.

Curses.

Rinko kept trying, of course. However, after a stealthily placed mistletoe resulted in Ueki and Sano's first (and only) kiss, the wealthy heiress was forced to burn her matchmaking plans and let nature take its course. (Sano's words, not hers.) So she was completely ecstatic when Mori had told her that she and Ueki got together. That ecstasy soon dropped to complete and utter disappointment when she heard about the events of said moment.

Stupid Heavenly Beings. Why do all of them have to be missing a part of their brains clearly marked "ROMANCE"?

… what were we talking about?

Ah, yes. Worrying. An emotion usually tied to Ueki's complete and utter failure as a good boyfriend, but was now tied to something much more serious.

His fangirls.

"Rinko-chan? What's so funny?" Mori asked from beside her in the hot spring. Rinko stifled her laughter, waving at the blue-haired girl to silently dismiss it. Mori, confused but figuring she didn't want to know, turned away to continue brooding.

Rinko apologizes. The idea of Ueki having fangirls still sounds uproariously funny even in her head. But yes, that is the current concern for the red-haired heiress at this moment. Because her friend, Mori Ai, a lovely young woman who could snatch up any handsome young man she wanted, was currently in love with the said idiotic Heavenly Being with two fangirls tagging him wherever he went, thus creating a rift in the already precariously balanced Ueki-Mori relationship. This, Rinko decided, could not do. Because Rinko thrived in the speculated romantic exploits of her two friends, and those would soon become even more non-existent than they already were if said two friends were to break up.

Please excuse Rinko for a moment while she cries her silent, mournful tears—

"Rinko-chan? Are you okay?" Mori cut in, placing a hand on her shoulder. Rinko sniffled loudly, quickly clearing her tears away to get rid of any evidence.

"Yes, yes, Ai-chan. I'm fine. I think there was something in my eye."

"Oh, okay." The two settled back into silence.

Rinko stared at Mori sitting somewhat tensely in the bath.

And stared.

And stared.

And stared.

"Ah, Rinko-chan? Is there something you want to ask me?" Mori questioned, feeling a bit nervous under the intense gaze of her red-haired friend. Rinko brightened, nodding enthusiastically.

"Have you and Ueki-kun made any new developments?" she asked, and Mori sighed, looking a bit sad.

"No… it's kind of hard," she admitted, her eye suddenly charged with fire as she slammed her fist onto the surface of the water. "Because of those annoying little girls following him like little puppies!" Rinko moved back a bit to avoid the splash before placing a comforting hand on Mori's shoulder.

"I'm sure it's not that bad," she said. But Mori groaned, tilting her head back and grabbing tufts of her hair in aggravation.

"It's not fair!" she exclaimed, looking truly lost for the first time since Rinko saw her. "I have so many things to do during the day, and Ueki has his own job so those annoying pests just follow him wherever he goes! I see them in the halls, Rinko-chan! Laughing and giggling and laughing like stupid little tarts! And obviously Ueki's too dumb to realize they _like_ him, like him, instead of just like him, and oh my gosh I'm going crazy! I've reverted back to playground-speak!"

Rinko, unused to dealing with Mori's spastic monologues (Ueki was really the only one designed to withstand those), simply chose the tried and true option that always worked with Sano.

_SLAP_

"_Oww! _Rinko-chan, why did you hit me?" Mori asked, holding her cheek and sniffling a bit. Rinko shrugged.

"You were babbling," was her simple response. Mori seemed to, strangely, accept the response and went back to brooding in the nice hot spring where people shouldn't brood. And Rinko sighed, as it seemed like one of those days where Mori was going to stew in her misery and lament her continued existence. As much fun as Mori was in her happy moods, she was equally as depressing in her funks. So Rinko patted the forlorn Mori's head, stood up, and announced, "I'm heading to bed."

...

...

...

The water sifted gently along the surface as Rinko stepped out, wrapping a short white towel around herself to dry off. Mori sulked quietly, watching the older woman don a simple yukata and leave the baths, probably to go cuddle with Sano. Which was cruel, really, because it wasn't as if Mori had someone to go cuddle with after she took a hot bath. Ueki was as cuddly as a log. Or a brick wall. Or a rock.

Case in point: Ueki was just not cuddly.

Mori heaved a large, drawn-out sigh, sinking deeper into the water to wonder faintly to herself, why? Was Ueki just normally unromantic? Did he not know how to hold an intimate relationship with someone? Because she still felt like just his friend. Just that annoying, blue-haired friend that attempted to save his ungrateful butt in a tournament almost a decade ago. I mean, they kissed regularly, but they were always so quick. Did he not like kissing her? Or did he not like kissing in general? Maybe he doesn't like kissing girls? OH MY GOD IS HE GAY?

Mori shot up in the water, her eyes wide as she contemplated this new epiphany. Could it be? Maybe… maybe Ueki was using her to hide his apparent attraction to the same gender! Or… or his secret feelings for a close friend? But who? Sano? Hideyoshi? Haiji? Robert? Or maybe… an older man?

She squeaked, horrified, covering her mouth with her hands. It's Koba-sen! Ueki is… is in love with Koba-sen! It all made sense! Ueki went totally batshit when Koba-sen was sent to Hell, and he was just so happy to see him again that he actually cried! And they've kept in close contact even though they aren't student and teacher anymore. Always calling, and texting, and meeting up for… for lunch! They've been having lunch dates! So… so Koba-sen is… he also…

"Oooh," Mori moaned, pressing the back of her hand against her forehead. She should really ask him when the chance came. Just to clear it all up, because really, it was okay for him to be gay. It wasn't a taboo or anything anymore. His father and sister were especially open-minded, and Mori just wanted him to be happy. And if being with Koba-sen made him happy, she wouldn't come in the way of that. (Even if it killed her. Destroyed her like shattered glass and shredded love letters and bleeding hearts—)

"—no, no, I swear it was… _up_!"

Mori perked up, sinking back into the shadows as those two annoying, giggling little tarts walked into the women's bath, their cheeks flushed pink.

"Really? It's hard to tell, you know. He's wearing those large robes."

"It was _up_, I know it. How could it not be, when he's staring at these glorious beauties?"

The first girl winked, cupping her rather generous bust and giving them a little shake. The second girl giggled, pushing the first girl's shoulder to get her to stop. "Yuko, you shameless slut! And how do you know he wasn't looking at _my_ legs?" She lifted one of her long legs, running a hand along the side of it, displaying its sensual beauty to her companion. "I was wearing a short skirt today, if you didn't notice." Yuko rolled her eyes.

"Of course I did; you were flashing it at him every second you got!" The two burst into another set of giggles, poking and prodding each other. Mori just wished they would hurry up and go away so she could escape without notice, hearing them plop onto the stools to start washing. Once they started talking again, she _really_ wished she had followed Rinko out of the bath.

"But you know, it's such a shame he's dating that totally unappealing girl," the first girl commented, lathering her hands with soap. "I mean honestly, how young is she? Twelve?" The two snickered.

"It's her chest, Mako," Yuko replied almost matter-of-factly. Startled, Mori looked down at her aforementioned chest, tears gathering in her eyes when she realized what that Yuko girl was going to say next. "She's totally flat. Like a boy!"

Mori reached up, putting her hand on one of her breasts. It wasn't _that_ flat. There was a noticeable bump, but Mori supposed since she wore those big baggy shirts to work that it looked like she really didn't have a chest. And even then the bumps weren't… so bumpy. They were more like rolling plains, or something. Hardly a thing to talk about… or fantasize about…

But Ueki was gay, wasn't he? So it's not like it matters… right?

"Yeah, yeah! And her legs are so short and stubby! She's such a midget! Absolutely nooo sex appeal." Mako exclaimed, adding onto her friend's observations. The two laughed again, and Mori's face burned with humiliation. The water rippled gently beneath her, the salt of her tears falling silently from her eyes. She just wanted them to disappear.

"Ne, do you want to go in the hot spring?" Yuko asked, and Mori heard water splashing onto the tiled floor. She would have to mop that.

"Nah, let's go back to our room. Maybe we'll run into Ueki-kun!" The two of them giggled, and Mori heard some towels rustling. Their shoes sounded for a short while, echoing in the women's bath before they too, faded away. And somehow, the stagnant silence seemed to be worse than the echoing of their gratingly harsh voices.

...

...

...

Mori walked sluggishly along the hallway, having gotten out of the bath shortly after those two girls. The silence was suffocating, and she figured it was probably time for her to sleep anyways. Tomorrow, Sano's workers would be coming back and she would finally be allowed to relax for the day. But from where she stood now, it seemed like a hollow victory.

Running a hand through her hair, Mori drew closer to the sliding door that led into her room, ready to just flop onto her futon and sleep until noon the next day. She stopped briefly, hearing a set of familiar giggling to her right, and turned her head to see the two scathingly beautiful girls standing at the door of the room next to her. They were looking at her, pointing and laughing, and Mori felt her cheeks burn in humiliation. She reached out for the handle of her door, fully ready to slam it open and wipe those disgusting smirks off the faces of those… those…

"Ah, Mori!"

She froze, recognizing the voice of the speaker (because Kami, how could she forget his voice? Always husky, with a bit of a rough edge and a pure, innocent lilt to it—)

"What do you want, Ueki?" Mori grated out harshly, feeling the stares of the two girls down the hall. She just wanted to sleep, and sleep, and sleep and he was currently in the way of that.

"I just… wanted to say good night," he murmured, his voice tinged with sadness. She closed her eyes, already feeling the guilt rearing up in her. He was just being his usual, kind, sweet Ueki, and here she was, the Wicked Witch of the West, snapping at him when he never deserved any of it. What kind of girlfriend was she?

… oh right, not one at all.

"Ueki," Mori started softly, keeping her gaze locked firmly on her door. (_I don't want to do this don't make me do this stop it stop it STOP IT—_) "I think we should break up."

"… what?"

She tried to smile, she did. She really tried, but it just ended up making her look like the most pathetic thing that ever existed, her tears making tracks down her cheeks. She hadn't cried in such a long time, not since that time with Plus and Hangekai and his coming home. She promised herself she'd shed enough tears for a lifetime, and really what kind of person was she if she teared up over the simplest of things? So stop crying, Mori, stop crying, _stop crying—_

"I'm sorry I didn't notice it sooner. I mean, it was so obvious, right? You just randomly asking me to be your girlfriend. And we never did anything like Sano and Rinko. Cuddling, and going on lovey-dovey dates, and holding hands, and all that stuff. You don't have to be ashamed of it, Ueki. I'm sure your father and your sister will understand; they love you, of course they'll accept you. I mean, I love you too and I'm accepting that you're trying to hide that you're gay—"

Mori gasped when Ueki grabbed her by the wrist, slamming her door open and shoving her inside before slamming it shut, staring at her with the eyes of a wild animal. Mori landed on her futon, looking rather like the deer who was going to be attacked by aforementioned wild animal.

"U-Ueki, you can't just throw me around like some doll!" she exclaimed, starting to stand up to teach him a lesson. She may not be his girlfriend but she was still his best friend, and damn it she was going to teach him how to handle a girl! Not that he needed to know, since y'know, he was gay and he was never going to actively seek out a girl to handle her and ugh she should just shut up right now because she's digressing like nobody's business— "And for that matter, you can't go into a girl's room, it's inappropriate—"

Ueki slammed his fist into the wall, shocking her into silence. His eyes were dark with anger, the entirety of his body trembling in controlled rage as he stalked towards her. She remembered the severity of that gaze from so, so long ago. There were so many people she could remember who felt the full force of his gaze (_Robert, Anon, Plus_) but Mori never thought it would be directed at her; ever.

"Say it again."

Mori blinked in confusion.

"Eh?"

"_Say it again._" Ueki growled out harshly, each step taking him closer and closer to Mori, who was taking a step back to keep her distance. She didn't want to know what he would do if she allowed him to get too close.

"Ah…" Mori gulped, wondering what he wanted her to say again. Maybe the bit about his parents accepting him, or how she loved him, or— "I… I think… we should… we should break up."

His hands slammed into the wall beside her head, before his head swept down like preying birds, devouring her lips like the delicious morsels they were. She was stunned, her eyes wide with disbelief as his tongue swept against her closed lips. When she had refused him entry, mostly on the grounds that her shock was paralyzing her body, Ueki's hands grasped at her hips, lifting her up so their faces were level, pressing his body flush against hers. She gasped as she felt his lower body press against hers, and his tongue came sweeping into her mouth at the opening.

She squirmed against him, blushing hotly at his arousal pressing into her. Her hands were clutching desperately at his shoulders, and it was only now that she began to realize that Ueki was, in fact, not gay. He was undeniably, irrevocably, totally and utterly straight. And still her boyfriend, because apparently breaking up was not an option.

At all.

"A-ah! Ueki," Mori breathed into his ear, her head tilted to the side when he kissed his way to her neck. Her yukata, normally tied meticulously, was now falling apart at her shoulders, gaping open and displaying her creamy white skin to Ueki's dark gaze and sinful lips. His hands trailed down her legs, fingers wrapping around her thighs to hoist her legs up, drawing them around his waist so he could press himself more firmly into her. She cried out a little.

"This is what you do to me," he breathed into her ear, his half-lidded gaze watching as her face flushed red and she arched into him, gasping his name. "This is why I don't hold your hand, or cuddle with you, or kiss you like boyfriends should… because if I started, I'd never be able to stop."

Mori wanted to tell him he was starting now, but she was sure it would be a rather useless sentence in the scheme of things. And besides, the young woman was quite content where she was, unable to utter anything more than sounds of her pleasure, echoing through the room. Part of her wanted to tell him to stop, because what if people could hear? But then she remembered who was in the room next door, and let her voice echo louder.

"You're my Ai," Ueki whispered to her, one of his thumbs brushing the underside of her bare breast. She gasped, eyes widening at his touch and the sound of her name falling lustfully from his lips. "You're my love. Mine and only mine."

Mori felt the tears falling over her cheeks before they came, her little arms winding around his shoulders as she clutched desperately at him. "Yours, Kosuke," she breathed. It was the first time she had ever said his name, and the effect it had on him was tremendous.

He lifted her up, one arm wrapped around her waist while the other was still coiled around her thigh. The futon was just behind them, and he laid her on it, hovering over her, the moonlight shadowing his face but not his eyes. He gave her a cursory glance – her flushed cheeks and dishevelled hair, the yukata that gaped open at her chest – before falling onto her, ravishing her mouth with years of pent-up desire. It exploded within him, his hands clawing away his shirt and reaching into Ai's yukata to explore more of her milky white skin.

He was stopped by Ai's hand resting gently on his arm, and looked at her through pained eyes. '_It'll kill me if we stop now, but I will because I'd never hurt you and I don't want to—_'

Ai sat up, taking his hands away from her bare skin. She reached up with her slim fingers, parting the yukata even more until it fell in a rippling pool around her naked, moonlit body. Kosuke could do nothing but stare wide-eyed at it, at her and her beautiful, beautiful smile. He was falling in love with her all over again. (_Falling, falling, falling_—)

"I love you, Kosuke."

(_He fell._)

_

* * *

A/N _There! It was a little more light-hearted than the other one and I had tons of fun writing Rinko! Not really smut, more like lime but that's okay? Maybe I'll write UekiMori smut in another one; I didn't think smut would fit the feel of this drabble. (Although I can't really call it a drabble; it's huge!) Either way, hope you enjoy. :)

Snowflake Flower


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